For my 40th birthday, my wife and I took a cruise to the Greek Islands. We booked well in advance on a Royal Caribbean ship during the low cruise season and just after pandemic restrictions were lifted, so we had an amazing experience for about a quarter of the usual cost.
But not every aspect of this trip was a bargain. In Cypress, the hotel we booked was not near the cruise port, and when it was time to depart, there were no taxis near the hotel, nor were there any carpooling options. Stressed, we ended up offering the hotel manager a generous price to take us to the cruise terminal, which he accepted for about three times the normal taxi fare.
Traveling on a budget requires careful planning. I’ve been a digital nomad for the past 8 years and have traveled to 88 countries. Some trips got me in trouble because I didn’t plan ahead and take advantage of money-saving options. Other trips were picture-perfect, where I took advantage of all the options I wanted and enjoyed the moments that make life worth living, like having a coffee on the balcony of an Airbnb overlooking Cape Town, South Africa.
If you’re more into the latter, here are five summer travel tips that will help you save money while still having a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Plan early
Summer is a time when families take trips and long vacations become more common. With more people traveling by plane or train and staying in hotels, space fills up quickly.
The earlier you plan your trip, the more likely you are to find the booking option you want at a lower price. Plan and book as early as possible to ensure the best terms and availability. It’s much easier to make changes to a booked trip than to find an affordable last-minute option that fits your itinerary needs.
If you’re tight on cash but still want to travel often, consider a credit card with great travel rewards, and also consider setting up a savings account so you can save and pay for summer adventures throughout the year.
Be strategic about where you book
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve booked a flight through a third-party service and then seen other travelers panic when their flight gets delayed or canceled because the airline representative at the terminal can’t actually help.
How you book your travel is just as important as when you book it. Services like Expedia, Priceline, and Kayak may offer cheaper flights, but they may have limited support options if something goes wrong with your itinerary. My experience has been that it’s best to book flights directly with the airline when possible (though hotels are less risky when they use a third-party booking site).
Be strategic so that unexpected problems don’t upend your travel plans.
Use your credit card points to get free or upgraded travel
One way to save money on travel is to take advantage of credit card rewards programs. Many credit cards have rewards programs that allow you to earn points on categories such as gas, groceries, restaurants, shopping, rent, and other everyday expenses.
Look for cards that offer 2x or 3x points bonuses in the categories you already spend money on each month, then use those points to book free or upgraded travel by transferring them directly to your credit card issuer or to various rewards programs.
When I started out as a digital nomad, I was strategic about which credit cards I applied for because I wanted to make the most of the points earning categories and welcome offers. These credit cards allowed me to book my trips early and earn points on my everyday spending. Since I run a business, I also use a business credit card and earn points on my travels.
Here are some of my favorite credit cards that I use when traveling:
- The American Express Green Card earns 3x points for every dollar spent on travel (hotels, flights, third-party booking sites), transportation (car rentals, tolls, parking), and food and beverage (restaurants, food service apps).
- The Citi Strata Premier card earns 3x points for every dollar spent on gas, groceries, restaurants, and EV stations.
- The Chase Preferred Ink Business Card earns 3x points per dollar on the first $150,000 you spend on travel, advertising, internet and phone services.
- The American Express Platinum Card earns 5x points per dollar spent when you book directly with an airline. Benefits include access to American Express Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges, as well as Global Entry and Clear Refunds.
- Capital One’s Venture X Business Credit Card earns 2x points on every dollar you spend with no spending limit.
Plus, I earned a 300,000-point welcome bonus by using my Venture X card for everyday business spending, which I used to book a roundtrip first-class ticket with Air France, which was absolutely amazing.
Think about the time you spend inside the terminal too: airport lounges are the perfect place to rest and recharge in comfort, and perks like Global Entry and Clear can help you speed through security by escorting you to the front of the queue.
Use your credit card for extra protection
Once when I traveled to Medellin, Colombia, my debit card was frozen as a fraud prevention measure. I didn’t have another debit card at the time, so I had to rely on my credit card for all payments. This experience was a great learning experience, and now I use credit cards for all purchases when traveling.
With a debit card, it’s harder to get a refund if there’s fraud. With a credit card, it’s much easier to get a refund. You never know what’s going to happen when you’re traveling, and if there’s fraud, you can’t just go to your local bank branch. A credit card gives you support anywhere in the world and is more protected.
For example, I recently had a fraud issue in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Citibank sent me a new Citi Strata Premier card there. When you run into trouble while traveling, you’ll appreciate the extra nudge of a good credit card.
Schedule a long layover to sneak in an extra experience
One of the strategies for incorporating more travel into my life is to be strategic with my layovers between flights. A long layover is one where you have enough time between flights to get out of the airport and explore the city or spend the night in town.
When booking international travel, look for itineraries that have at least a 12-hour layover in the country. Many major countries in the world have trains or buses that take passengers from the airport to the city center. Overnight layovers allow you to explore multiple countries in one trip. For example, when I travel to Africa, I usually fly KLM, but I like to book trips with overnight layovers in London, Amsterdam, and Paris. This way I can explore multiple countries in one itinerary.
If you use this strategy, keep track of your flight and make sure your layover is long enough that you have time to sightsee comfortably and go through security again to board your next flight.
Tips to make your summer trip more enjoyable
As you plan your summer trip, keep these strategies in mind for a smoother trip. I learned each of these strategies through experience and now use them regularly to fully enjoy my trips.
